Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963). He was born in Havana - or actually in Guanabacoa, a suburb now absorbed by it. He died in Tampa. A pianist and a very productive composer. His work is sometimes stigmatized as "light," though not usually in front of armed Cubans. This is perhaps because he was very much involved in show business as a performer, a band-leader, and writer of musicals. He had no problems with marketing his stuff as pop. Very like the classical composers, I gather, but without the veil of historical distance to make it look all, well, classical.

Major surf compositions:

Malaguena - sixth movement of his Andalucia Suite
_Andaluza_ - second movement of his Andalucia Suite
_Siboney_

I don't know the exact date, but he was performing these in the 1920s.

Andaluza is better known as The Breeze and I, and, in fact, it appears that he recorded it under the title of La Brisa i Yo himself. Or maybe that refers to his briss.

Ciboney or Siboney is apparently the name of a relict Native American group in Cuba. Wikipedia says there are about 253 Ciboney families living in Florida these days.

Incidentally, Ernesto Lecuona's cousin Margarita Lecuona wrote Babalu, later famous as Desi Arnaz's theme song, and also pretty well known in surfing circles, not to mention in I Love Lucy circles.

Malaguena is pretty clearly intended to be either in the style of folk music from Malaga in Spain, or perhaps even specifically in the Flamenco palo called Malaguena or "Malagan." However, it appears that it may not be a wholesale drafting of an earlier model. The pieces are certainly familiar enough.

For a summary of the history of Malaguena see

• Wikipedia on the song Malaguena
  

• Wikipedia on the Malaguena(s) palo
  It's not entirely clear how Malaguena got from Lecuona's version to the Surf version. Earliest by the Trashmen? I suspect the Bill Haley & the Comets version, or possibly the Connie Francis version. I haven't heard either one. I have heard the Bill Holman arrangement as performed by the Stan Kenton Orchestra, since that's on YouTube. That might be the genesis of the others. The only rock version I have heard is one by Buchanan which is close enough to Lecuona's piano version that I think Buchanan adapted it from that. It is definitely not the surf arrangement.
  

Just to be perfectly above board - the surf commentary in the first article above was from me, so don't put too much faith in it!

Last edited: Apr 16, 2007 17:27:49

I always thought it meant Old Lady???

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Tuck

bigtikidude
I always thought it meant Old Lady???> Actually, I´m not sure if the adjective malagueño is the proper form for a reference to someone from Malaga. This is as complicated in Spanish as it is in English. Just when you expect Indianan it turns out to be Hoosier. I´m guessing from those lyrics.

I think it´s perfectly ok. One quick search on the oracle (google) shows that malagueño / malagueña is an adjective that can be used for either people or "things" from Malaga.
A bit of trivia: chili peppers are known as "pimenta malagueta" (malaga peppers) in Brazil.

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http://gianninisupersonic.blogspot.com

Many Spaniards turn their noses up at it- it is primarily known as a seedy seaport full of prostitutes, sailors, fishermen, and low budget tourists who can't afford the nearby Costa Del Sol resorts. I loved it though (and no, not because of the prostitutes).

Been there, loved the place and the coast too. Drove up to Gibraltar and to the edge of Europe. As far as the prostitutes, they were there, that is why the Brits flock to the resorts. Anyway, that is news to me that Malaguena was written by a Cuban. Always thought that it was an old Flamenco standard. Great song.

Tuck
It's not entirely clear how Malaguena got from Lecuona's version to the Surf version. Earliest by the Trashmen? I suspect the Bill Haley & the Comets version, or possibly the Connie Francis version. I haven't heard either one.

There's a fragment of the Bill Haley version on line - just the itnroduction, which sounds pretty standard, e.g., like the start of the Roy Buchanan version.

Unfortunately, it appears that the CD citted in the link above is no longer available.

Tuck
To my ear Pepe Romero's version of Malagueña is in 3/4

If your refering to the version of Malanquena on his Guitar Solos album I believe it is in 3/4. Its his father, Celedonio Romero's, arrangement and I performed it with a group last year and as far as I remember it was in 3/4 not 6/8. Its just a difference of accents anyways so not a big change.

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Ericattack_
If your refering to the version of Malanquena on his Guitar Solos album I believe it is in 3/4.

Thanks, Eric. That's exactly the version. I appreciate confirmation on this.

Its his father, Celedonio Romero's, arrangement ...

Yeah, and I notice it's dated 1917 (or something close), which puts it a bit before Lecuona (1920s). So maybe the similarities are just generic "malaguena mode" resemblances? Or maybe Lecuona is later in the chain?

I'm still trying to figure out if there's a leap between Lecuona and ??? the Trashmen, or if it's just the title and mode connecting things there, too. I've only heard the Boss Martian's (?) tribute version of the Trashmen's version, anyway.

I haven't really had a chance to get back to this, except to locate a few new versions of songs named Malaguena. I'm pretty sure that both the Richie Valens and Roy Buchanan recordings of the name are based on Lecuona's version. And both were in circulation too late to be relevant, I think. I've just heard a snatch of the Bill Haley & the Comets version, and it sounds more like Lecuona, too. However, it was just a few bars at the beginning.

... and I performed it with a group last year ...

Very cool! What kind of group? You mean as an acoustic piece or something else?

... and as far as I remember it was in 3/4 not 6/8. Its just a difference of accents anyways so not a big change.

I need all the help on time signatures that I can get. Starting with being reminded to notice them. I have started trying to do that and I've found some few oddities I hadn't noticed before.

I gather the difference between something like 3/4 and 6/8 is partly a matter of (a) tempo and (b) possibilities in placing accents (what you pointed out) than otherwise.

Anyway, I am definitely not in a position to identify the time signatures in Bulgarian dances. Maybe someday. For now just 4/4 vs. 3/4!